(1) Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an exterior structure of an apparatus and an image forming apparatus using the same and in particular, relates to an exterior structure for ventilation and radiation of heat building up inside an apparatus having driving assemblies and heat sources as well as to an image forming apparatus using this exterior structure.
(2) Description of the Prior Art
One of the purposes of the exterior of an apparatus is to prevent the user from directly touching the driving assemblies, heat sources and other parts inside the machine and is designed in pursuit of aesthetical improvement of the apparatus appearance and its functions.
As one of generally known exterior structures of an apparatus, there is a configuration of an exterior 500 for a document reader as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, for example, in which one-piece panel-like member 510 is fixed to the apparatus frame (not shown) by screws or by other fitting methods. In the drawings, designated at 510b are attachment holes for fixing screws.
Also, when there is a heat source or a source of scattering inside the machine, an exhaust port (ventilation hole) 510c is formed in a part of the exterior and a fan, filter and/or the like are disposed so as to reduce the interior temperature of the machine as well as to collect the scattered particles.
For example, as the prior art there has been a proposal of an image forming apparatus having a driving assembly and heat source such as a fixing unit and the like, in which passages for conducting cooling air inside the apparatus are formed between exterior panels so that cooling air and floating dust and the like inside the apparatus can be discharged out of the apparatus as a whole by way of a dust filter by an exhauster from the apparatus bottom (patent document 1: Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Hei 01-321447).
However, when a plurality of heat sources and sources of scattering as above exist inside the apparatus, each source should be connected to a duct so as to draw and convey heat and collect waste particles, hence this configuration will make the apparatus become large and have the exterior configuration complicated due to duct arrangement.